1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to security apparatus used for preventing the theft or unauthorized removal of office equipment or the like in general and in particular to security apparatus comprising improved base and key operated cover members to which the office equipment is attached in a secure manner.
2. Description of the Related Art
With the advent of computers, laser printers, facsimile machines, and other expensive but highly portable office equipment, the theft and unauthorized removal of equipment from an office has become a very serious problem and a significant concern to the owners of such equipment. Such concerns are also embraced by the owners of laboratory equipment, the owners of television sets and the like in hotels, hospitals, etc., and the owners of a wide variety of other costly but portable equipment.
To prevent the theft or unauthorized removal of equipment apparatus has been made available to mount or otherwise attach the equipment to a structure which is not readily portable. For example, in applicant's U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,197, entitled Equipment Security Method and Apparatus, assigned to the assignee of the present application, there is provided a base member and a cover member. The base member is attached to a vertical or horizontal surface by means of bolts or adhesive pads, plates and/or brackets as required in a particular installation. The cover member is removably attached to the base member by means of a plurality of pin members which extend inwardly from the rear of the cover member to engage holes provided therefore in the base member and a front mounted key operated lock. The equipment to be secured is attached to the cover member by means of U-shaped rod members, bracket members with inwardly directed fingers for engaging holes in the sides of the equipment or the like.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,392 there is disclosed a security apparatus comprising a plurality of four plate members, each formed with a pair of upwardly extending colinear loops, which are mounted to an underlying surface by means of an adhesive pad, a metallic die cast cover member having die cast cylindrical lock housings and a plurality of downwardly depending lugs, a pair of rod members which are threaded through the loops and the lugs to lock the cover member to the plate members, and a lock associated with each rod member to prevent its unauthorized withdrawal from the security apparatus.
Because the cover member in the above-described security apparatus comprises a die casting it is difficult to inexpensively achieve and maintain tight tolerances and close fits between the mating parts, i.e. the loops, lugs and locking rods, thus allowing for a generally loose fit between the cover member and the base plates. Moreover, because the cover member comprises a die casting it is subject to being broken or shattered if struck by a hammer or the like. Also, because the lock housings likewise comprise die castings, only specially designated locks can be used in the apparatus.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,065,083 there is disclosed a security apparatus in which arches, i.e. loops, extend upwardly from a base plate to be locked by means of a locking pin or bolt to corresponding-arches or loops which depend downwardly from equipment to be secured in a manner similar to that described above with respect to U.S. Pat. No. 3,850,392. In addition to a single rigid base plate, there is also disclosed a base plate comprising four interconnected, but independently movable, rigid plate members which extend from and are flexibly interconnected by a central portion. The splitting of the single base plate into four smaller interconnected, but independently movable, plate members allows the base plate to more closely conform to the surface to which the base plate is adhesively attached, thus improving the bond between the individual base plate members and the underlying surface.